Spray Foam or Rubber Roof???

   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #1  

DrDan

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2001
Messages
353
Location
Ohio
Tractor
G1800 & BX2200
I have a 26' X 32' flat carport roof that necessarily has a very low pitch. It is only about 5 years old and had a shingle roof put on when it was built. UNFORTUNATELY - the water pools on the sags in the roof and seeps through the shingles. The contractors that built it tell me I either need a spray on foam roof or a rubber roof. The rubber roof guys say that the foam is chit because birds pick at it and make nests in it causing it to fail. The foam guys say that's bullchit. Anyone have any experience with either type of roofing material?

Dr Dan
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #2  
I have had rubber roofs on some of my roofs for 10 years or so and have had zero problems. It's the only way I know of to really fix a flat roof and based on what I see they are pretty common now. The last one I had installed was made by Goodyear and was guarenteed for 25 years.
I am not familiar with the foam roof system.
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof???
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks for the reply. Another thing I thought of is how can you get excess snow off a foam roof? With the rubber, if you are careful you could get it off with a plastic shovel, but foam kind of scares me.
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #4  
DrDan, my last two RVs had rubber roofs; hard to keep clean, but otherwise lasted very well. My parents had a mobile home with a metal roof, and my brother and I installed a rubber roof on it and that, too, worked very well. They later bought a new mobile home to which they had the spray on foam added; looked great - for a couple of years - then gradually dried, shrunk, etc. Maybe they have better foam now, but I'd go with the rubber.

Bird
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #5  
I agree go with the rubber roof. Lasts longer and you can clean it off. Also I think it's cheaper too.

18-35034-TRACTO~1.GIF
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #6  
Have some friends with the spray-on foam roof. They are real happy with it, and have had it for at least 7 or 8 years. They are also real happy with the improved insulation. Their roof is not flat, but has a very low pitch, something like 1 in 12. They have never said anything about birds pecking at it.

We also don't get snow, so that is another consideration. Any information on warrantees?

The GlueGuy
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof???
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I guess I just don't know where I am going with this decision. I can't fathom rubber lasting for 20+ years. If an old inner tube laid out on the ground for that time it would be brittle and weak (I believe). Maybe they make it out of some special type of rubber. On the other hand, it seems like foam would not be very flexible. If the roof sagged or moved as wood does with changes in weather and weight placed upon it does the foam stay fixed to it without cracking?

I may have to ask the handyman guy on the call in radio show and see what he thinks.

Thanks all,

Dr Dan
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #8  
DrDan, the rubber roofs are a different rubber from the old inner tubes. I'd worry about the foam cracking, too. For your application, you'd probably never need to repair a rubber roof, but it's real easy to do (lots of RVs scrape under limbs and sometimes tear a roof, whether rubber or metal). All you have to do is clean it, apply contact cement to another piece and put the patch in place. But I think you'll find that the rubber roof will last as long, or longer, than composition shingles.

Bird
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #9  
My impression was that the foam was pretty flexible too. More like air-filled rubber than polystyrene. Have to admit that I've never seen one up close. Have seen a couple of them from the street though.

The GlueGuy
 
   / Spray Foam or Rubber Roof??? #10  
DrDan; Go with the rubber roof if you do NOT have any trees overhanging the carport. The reason I say if no trees is that falling branches can puncture the rubber. Howevr, it is easily repaired. If you do have overhanging trees I would go with a "cold-process" modified roof which is similar to rolled roofing except that the material is much thicker & more flexible. In either case the cost to "go-over" your existing shingles should be around $2,500 including a seperation layer between the shingles & new roofing.
 
 
Top